Sculpture method utilizing new means of simulating, viewing, and displaying sporting, undersea and other environments

Abstract

This invention is directed toward a sculpture, and the method of making the sculpture, utilizing a mold and manufacturing method in which the underside of the mold mimics the top of an ocean bottom, or other underwater environment, which can be painted to realistically depict different types of corals and fishes. This ocean bottom can be seen through clear, smooth-surfaced sections of the front, sides, and back of the sculpture, thereby creating an “aquarium view” of the ocean bottom. The invention also contains a fish-eye lens, which can be moved in several directions, thereby affording a user numerous views of the surfer, wave, and ocean bottom from different perspectives, or of other aquatic sportspeople engaging in various aquatic sports. The fish-eye lens can be mounted above the water, or at the waterline, thereby affording a view of the environment and actions both above and below the waterline.

What is claimed, is:  
     
         1 . A method of making a sculpture comprising: 
 a resin cast of a surfer or other aquatic sportsperson where the resin cast is molded such that the bottom of the mold is indented to simulate realistically the undersea environment of a coral reef or other aquatic undersea environment, and    the bottom of the mold is painted in colors which realistically depict the corals or other undersea plants, animals, algas, and bottom environmental objects, and    the front of the sculpture is a textured aquatic environment, such as an ocean wave, depicting a realistic appearing wave, river surface or other section of water, and    an aquatic sportsperson molded out of plastic, metal, or a similar sturdy material, such as a surfer, kayaker, SCUBA diver, swimmer, or other water user engaged in his/her sport in or upon the textured aquatic environment, and    the back of the sculpture is clear, un-textured resin, which allows a viewer to see through the back of the wave or other body of water the sculpture is meant to depict, to see not only an “aquarium view” of the bottom and its undersea plants, animals, and algas, but also a silhouette or shadow view of the surfer or other aquatic sportsperson through the textured front face of the wave or other aquatic environment depicted by the sculpture, and    the sides of the sculpture have clear sections through which the bottom and its undersea plants, animals, and algas can be seen, and    the front section of the invention has a clear section through which the undersea environment can be clearly seen.    
     
     
         2 . A sculpture made by the method of  claim 1 .  
     
     
         3 . The method of making a sculpture of  claim 1 , where the invention also contains a viewing cavity, which contains a fish-eye lens, located in the back of the “tube” portion of the wave or other such suitable location on other types of aquatic sculptures, such that a viewer can, by looking through the lens, get a semi-realistic fish-eye view of what it would look like to view a surfer or other water user out of a tube or other aquatic environment.  
     
     
         4 . A sculpture made by the method of  claim 3 .  
     
     
         5 . The method of making a sculpture of  claim 3  where the fish-eye lens is used on an air-water interface to provide a view of both the above-water and below-water environments and actions.  
     
     
         6 . A sculpture made by the method of  claim 5   
     
     
         7 . The method of making a sculpture of  claim 3 , where the fish-eye lens is attached to a hollow viewing tube that can be moved forward and backward in the viewing cavity embedded into the “tube” section of the wave by means of screw threads attached to the hollow view tube which mesh with screw cavities embedded into the encasing material which surrounds the hollow viewing tube, thereby allowing a user to zoom in and zoom out on the surfer or other aquatic sportsperson.  
     
     
         8 . A sculpture made by the method of  claim 7 .  
     
     
         9 . The method of making a sculpture of  claim 7  where the fish-eye lens is used on an air-water interface to provide a view of both the above water and below water environments and actions.  
     
     
         10 . A sculpture made by the method of  claim 9   
     
     
         11 . The method of making a sculpture of  claim 3 , where, 
 the hollow viewing tube can be slid along tracks built into the encasing material, thereby allowing a user to zoom in and zoom out, and    where the hollow viewing tube can be rotated 360 degrees within the viewing cavity by means of the hollow viewing tube being attached to a circular rotating device through a pivot point, and    where the hollow viewing tube can be rotated in up and down about its pivot point, thereby affording a user numerous views of the surfer, wave, and ocean bottom from different perspectives, or of other aquatic sportspersons performing their aquatic sport.    
     
     
         12 . A sculpture made by the method of  claim 11 .  
     
     
         13 . The method of making a sculpture of  claim 11  where the fish-eye lens is used on an air-water interface to provide a view of both the above water and below water environments and actions.  
     
     
         14 . A sculpture made by the method of  claim 13.